Restoration at Xlapak, and other nearby archaeological sites, was carried out in the first half of the 20th century by the Mexican Instituto de Antropologia e Historia (Institute of Anthropology and History).[6] Further archaeological investigation was carried out in 1965 under the direction of César A. Sáenz.[7]

The site core is located in the flat valley bottom, while in the surrounding hills the remains of perishable structures have been found.[3]

The main feature of Group 1 is the Palace, which consists of nine rooms with decorated facades. Another palace is located in Group 2, it is decorated with columns.[3] The architecture is an example of the ostentatious style of the Classic or Fluorescent Puuc, in common with the nearby sites of Sayil, Labna, Kabah, and Uxmal.[8] Typical of this style are the highly decorated upper portions of the buildings that extend above the ceiling height.[9] The decorations at Xlapak are well preserved and include masks of the Yucatec Maya rain god Chaac.[1]